Key Points
• Bandits raid communities in four states and abduct worshippers, women and a monarch.
• Kogi church attack triggers a state manhunt and rising fear among residents.
• Two Defence Ministry directors remain missing weeks after their abduction.
Bandit groups launched coordinated attacks across Kogi, Kano, Sokoto and Kwara, leaving communities in shock as kidnappings and killings spread through the weekend.
The strikes targeted a church, homes and even a wedding gathering. Several victims remain unaccounted for.
Kogi Church Raid Leaves Worshippers Scattered
Gunmen stormed a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West, during an early morning service.
Worshippers ran into the dark as gunshots echoed across the community. The pastor, known as Orlando, his wife and several congregants were taken.
Residents said the assault threw the entire town into panic. Many hid in nearby homes and bushes to avoid being caught.
Efforts to confirm the exact number of abducted worshippers stalled when police failed to release figures.
The Kogi government announced an expanded manhunt. Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo said security agencies and local volunteers were working together to track the attackers. He noted that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo was coordinating the operation.
Kano Border Village Attack Claims One Life
In Kano, bandits entered Yankamaye village in Tsanyawa district late Saturday. An elderly woman died during the attack and three women were kidnapped.
A resident said the attackers arrived when most families had already gone to bed. No official statement came from the police, but Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin confirmed the assault on his Facebook page.
He urged security agencies to pursue the armed groups operating along the borders of Tsanyawa and Shanono.
Bride and Bridesmaids Taken in Sokoto
In Sokoto’s Wurno district, bandits raided Chacho village during the night and took a bride preparing for her wedding.
Her bridesmaids and several guests were also captured. Residents fled into surrounding bushes while gunshots rang out.
Chacho, home to the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Shehu Alhaji Chacho, has faced repeated threats in recent months.
The latest attack came hours after a ransom was paid for earlier victims in Rabah.
The state police spokesperson could not be reached. The APC chairman in the state confirmed that several people had been taken but did not provide a number.
Kwara Monarch Held for N150m Ransom
In Kwara, the abductors of the Ojibara of Bayagan, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, demanded N150 million.
They forced the monarch to speak with his community to confirm he was alive. He said he spent more than five hours on a motorcycle through deep forest before the group reached their base.
The monarch also reported that others from a nearby community had been taken as he was moved through the area. The attack happened while he worked on his farm in Ifelodun.
Two Defence Ministry Directors Still Missing
Three weeks after the kidnapping of six directors from the Federal Ministry of Defence on the Kabba–Lokoja highway, two remain in captivity.
The officials were traveling for promotion exams when gunmen intercepted their vehicle.
Four have since regained freedom and are undergoing medical checks. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria raised new concerns about the fate of the remaining two women: Mrs Emeribe C.A. and Mrs Onwuzurike J.A.
Labour leaders urged security agencies to intensify rescue efforts. The association also renewed its push for the decentralisation of civil service examinations, arguing that long-distance travel exposes workers to danger.
